Love of the Dead
by Pyracantha
Summary: Not your average Hades & Persephone story- includes the character Adonis, and other plotlines. Finally updated after long break- Ch. 6!
1. A Girl Called Persephone

Disclaimer: Do I actually need one for this story? I'll put it in just in case. I did not make up any characters (except a select few) in Greek Mythology.  
  
AN: Ok, ok, I know- like 99% of the fanfics on Greek mythology are either about the Trojan War or Persephone/ Hades (at last that what it felt like when I was browsing the archives) Anyway, this is only my second attempt at a fanfic so have mercy! (However, flames ARE welcome... ahem, under one condition, only- my take is this: if you're going to tell me my story sucks ass, at least tell me WHY.)  
  
Here goes nothing.....  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE: A GIRL CALLED PERSEPHONE  
  
Her lips were dry, her throat was tight, and her mind was far away. A crown of wilting flowers was in her blonde hair. Her hair hung down her back, tiny loose braids every every few stands. It was rich, thick, a darker shade of strawberry blonde, smooth and shiny. Her skin was a matching pale hue. Not pink, but rather white, as if she had been bleached of color. The effect was rather stunning with her deeply vivid emerald eyes, but from afar, looked frightening. Her skin looked deathly pallid from several strides away. Her whole body lacked activity and her face was devoid of expression.  
  
She had put her elbows up on the black marble table, and her chin was resting in her palms. The table was decorated as if for a large feast, but there was only one solitary chair drawn up to the table that she had taken a seat in.   
  
There were different kinds of delectable roasts, cheeses, breads, grains, and scrumptious desserts- tarts, pie, chocolate, all sweetened with sugar cane. To wash it all down, there was ambrosia, different wines, and nectar. However, the savory platters of food remained untouched. In front of her lay nothing but a small dish probably made for appetizers. On it lay a pomegranate severed in half.  
  
There were several lights lit in the room but it had no effect on brightening the room whatsoever. Only the table appeared illuminated, as the moon shone through a small gap in the dark velvet curtains, and reflected on the table's dark surface.  
  
The girl pushed her small plate away and looked at her reflection in the smooth marble. Her dark green eyes stared back at her. Though she looked as if they had once been full and rosy, her pale cheeks were gaunt and hollow. There were even what looked like dark rings under here eyes. There appeared to be permanent sadness etched in her face. She looked at the pomegranate again. Could she dare to? In a hunger-daze, she found herself slowly picking out a seed, already it was traveling to her mouth...  
  
What was she DOING? She hurriedly put the seed back on the plate with a clumsy sort of jerk. She'd rather starve than eat it. She found her mind throwing arguments around at this. Once she ate the seeds, she'd be able to eat whatever she wanted. All she had to do was eat the seeds... eat... eat... eat the seeds... Unconsciously, she found her hand reaching for the plate again. She quickly snatched it away. What was going on? Why couldn't she control herself? It was the whole place, so dark, forlorn, and lonely. From a room down a long corridor, she could hear dreary music playing. The more she listened, the more she noticed the feast in front of her, the more she was tempted.   
  
"You must be hungry," he had said.  
  
She had pressed her lips together, shaken her head, despite the urge she felt in her growling stomach.  
  
Nevertheless, he had lead her to the black marble table and pulled out the single chair. "Won't you sit down, please?"  
  
She gracefully took a seat, having been taught to do so all her life. She daintily placed her hands in her lap, staring at the painting hanging on the wall across from her. It depicted a lovely maiden lying, nude in a field of plush green grass and beautiful flowers in bloom. Attending the maiden were several nymphs in flowing, breezy garments of pastel shades. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and immediately another chair appeared and he took a seat across from her, partially blocking the painting. It was the only piece of color in the room and her eyes were drawn to it naturally. Not only that, but it reminded her so much of home that tears began to well in her eyes which rolled down her cheeks and splashed on the black marble.   
  
He had leaned over across the table as if he had never seen anyone cry before. Fascinated, he watched each tear, watched her wipe them away with a small handkerchief.  
  
When she had stopped and was barely sniffing he asked gently, "You must be hungry. Why don't you eat something?"   
  
She had solemnly shaken her head.   
  
"Don't be silly. Of course you're hungry."   
  
She had looked hungrily at the meal on the table. It did look so appetizing. She found her hunger was becoming stronger than her stubborn will... She filled a plate with food and poured nectar into a goblet. She was just about to bring a forkful of beef stew to her lips, she could smell the spices cooked into it, the flavor of the creamy sauce... but suddenly her fork fell from her hand onto the plate and it disappeared along with her goblet.   
  
To the disappointed look on her face he replied, "Eat the pomegranate first." And he abruptly stood up and left with a toss of his cape. His chair was gone too. She had tried to get up from her chair but found that she could not. The chair, as if it had a mind of its own would not let her get up. Not only that, but her feet would not move either. She could not help it- she wept again.  
  
She was still sitting here, nearly a whole day later, fighting the hunger, the exhaustion, and tiredness. Most of all, she began to miss home. She felt like a little girl once again, eager for her mother's embrace, her comforting touch. In her mother's arms she would be safe, there, nothing could harm her. But that's not where she was...   
  
She gave a big sigh. At sixteen, she was still a hopeless idealist. But before she had been taken here, her life HAD been ideal. Beautiful fields of green, blooming and wonderfully scented flowers, vibrant color and life everywhere. Raised in such a wonderful, lively world, she had naturally become a mirror image of it. Here, she felt dead. Once again, she found herself longing for her mother's arms.   
  
A flood of memories from her childhood suddenly came to her. Her father had been Zeus. Yes, Zeus, himself had fathered the lovely Persephone. She did not remember him much in her childhood. He seemed to be more of a distant relative to her that she saw once a month. Where she brought a mindful gift which she presented with honor and then kissed his hand.  
  
He would nod deeply as he approved and waved her aside as a sign for her to stand with her mother. Waved aside.... PUSHED aside by her father. The first day she had presented him a gift, a wonderful bouquet of morning glories- her favorite flower, he had gruffly accepted and waved her away. She had never given him a second thought after that day. Who needed a father....- when you had a mother?  
  
She rarely saw him anyway. Her mother had been concerned about Hera's disliking to her daughter, so she did not let her visit Mount Olympus too frequently. Demeter was most often found outside, but went to Olympus everyday. Persephone, however was nearly always outside.  
  
She loved nature, she loved the life around her. She associated with nymphs, their daughters, and other minor goddesses of life. Her mother didn't like her to be alone or drift too far away from watching eyes and her daughter often took this as more of a reason to do so. She liked sneaking away from the group. She would lie in the green meadows with other maidens, making herself a chain of beautiful, bright flowers. Then, she'd wander little by little further away from the group. Usually they'd follow her, unaware of her intentions. Sometimes, however, they wouldn't notice and she'd surreptitiously wander away.   
  
She loved to explore by herself. Discover new places and things. Her playmates wouldn't worry about her since they new her tendencies but her mother always remained anxious until she returned safe. And she had always returned home soon enough. She loved her home and mother and playmates too much to stay away for too long. No matter how many clandestine wonderful places she found, she had always returned home... except this time.  
  
  
  
"Let's go to the creek today!" Iris had called. Her voice was excited and her feet were tapping impatiently.  
  
"Sure," she had called back, and with a toss of her reddish-blonde hair, hurried after Iris.  
  
Barefoot, the two walked across green meadows and along a dirt path through a dense forest. After a five-minute stroll, they reached a clearing, where light was allowed through the canopy. It was a very large area and right through the heart of it, flowed a rather large creek. The creek was rather fast-flowing but rather quiet. It curved through the whole forest, varying in depth and speed. All along the the banks were clusters of flowers. Marigolds, Morning Glories, daisies, and forget-me-nots grew in colorful clusters among the blades of grass.   
  
Iris and she had picked a bunch of flowers and then sat on the banks of the calming waters. They had pulled their skirts up to their knees so that they could dip their legs in the cooling creek. The picked flowers they had placed in their laps and made flower chains which they placed in their hair, around their necks, wrists, and ankles.   
  
They had not sat too long by the creek when already, nymphs from the waters already came and sat with them. She and Iris were well acquainted with them since they came to the clearing quite frequently. Soon, they were joined by other girls. They chatted for a long time until Ares' sister, Bellona, suggested they play something. They decided on hide-and-seek. A rather childish game, it seems, for goddesses and nymphs to play, but they were young and loved their fun. Iris agreed to be "it".  
  
Most girls hid in groups in the verdant growth encircling the clearing. The strawberry-blonde, however, hid by herself. She wandered a little further than the rest and when she could no longer hear the suppressed giggles of the nymphs and goddesses, she sunk down on her knees behind a bush, careful to hide her apparent hair. From time to time, she would peek over the bush, to see if she could catch a glimpse of any other girls, or perhaps Iris. However, she could see no one, and suddenly, she felt everything around her gow uncomfortably silent.   
  
She quickly got up and decided it was time to make her way back to the group. On the path, she suddenly saw a beautiful flower. She did not know its name, the only thoughts running through her head was how beautiful it was. As she walked cautitiously deeper into the forest to pick it, the ground seemed to quake before her. She stopped, mid-walk and quickly picked the flower. That shaking had been her imagination, hadn't it? But it hadn't. The ground trembled greater now and suddenly, it split and she saw down a cavernous, dark abyss. And a chariot pulled by great, black mares rode out onto the ground. She could not see the driver, as he was wearing a large black cloak, but the sight of him in his pitch-black chariot and horses terrified her and she began to run, flower gripped in her hand.  
  
He had cutt her path off back to the creek, so there was only one direction in which to run. She had not managed to go far before he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her onto his chariot. He rode back down into the dark opening in the ground, which immediately closed behind them, and she remembered no more.   
  
When she came to, lying on a luxurious bed of soft down, He was there again. He had now taken off his long cloak and was wearing a black cape instead. For a moment she had lain on the bed, simply studying his features. She saw he had large, very dark-blue eyes that caught her attention immediately. He noticed she had woken up and silently led her to the table.  
  
At that table, she still sat. A beautiful girl with strawberry-blonde hair, eyes as green as the forest she had been kidnapped from. Her skin now pale, her stomach empty. Her long fingers reached slowly for the pomegranate on her plate. She dug out a seed and lifted it to her lips. The girl swallowed. Another one. And one more. Persephone had eaten three seeds...  
  
  
  
How was that for a 1st chapter? OK? Horrible? Click that button! . 


	2. Not Without Her

5-7-04: I Know You guys will probably feel cheated since this is only an author's note and not a chapter. However, I promise I will replace it with the second chapter soon. I just need a temporary break from this story... I can promise that you can expect the next update within two weeks- pinky swear! meanwhile, keep reviewing- I love constructive criticism!  
  
  
  
Woo-hoo! (wasn't expecting this many reviews...) Thank You for reviewing! You guys made me happy! =)  
  
zagato: thank you for your sweet review!   
  
kory: I really appreciate constructive criticism, so thank you, too! I actually prefer happy stories, too. I find it very odd myself that I chose to write about Persephone & Hades. About mistakes I made- I will try to go back and fix my errors. I know I was a little sloppy with spelling... I'm sorry. Thanks for pointing that out.  
  
Loveawaitsinthenextmeadow: Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you like it!  
  
jylphoenix: I'm not good with reviews either... lol! thanks for your review, though! I hope you come along for the rest of the fic   
  
dark angel: thank you for reviewing! :-) I hope you enjoy this chappie.  
  
anonymous: thanks! I hope you like this chapter too!  
  
Yasamiya Reiko: Thank you for reviewing- I'm really glad to get constructive criticism! I'll definitely keep that in mind.  
  
Aeriel Ravenna: I'm glad you like it! I will definitely work on working in more dialogue, I liked your story, too! Thanks for your review, by the way   
  
bushyhair: Thanks for your wonderful review and tips! I will definitely keep them in mind!   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely NADA...  
  
I profusely apologize for the late update! I hope you accept my excuse of STAR testing. Thank God that's over with for now...  
  
I have to warn you that this is SOMEwhat AU meaning that you might recognize character names but they might not be EXACTLY the same as in the mythology- and also, this chapter has some mild swearing, so no flames, for you have been warned. Anyway, Enjoy!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER TWO: NOT WITHOUT HER  
  
Laughter. Aphrodite's laughter perhaps. Or it could have been Hera. Demeter was not sure of herself as she walked by the double doors. She heard music, too. Apparently he was still entertaining. Demeter curled her lips in disgust. Didn't they have better things to do than sit in that room all day and watch muses dance?   
  
She turned a corner and continued down a stark white hallway. Then she stopped in front of a large oak door and knocked softly.   
  
"Come in!" a rather gentle voice called from inside and Demter turned the doorknob and went in.   
  
A young man sat at a creaky, old-fashioned desk in the middle of the room. Besides a marble bust (probably of Zeus himself) in a corner, a beautiful exotic rug on the floor, the desk, and a chair, the room was empty. However, there was a lovely enormous arched window through which sunlight streamed.   
  
Opposite the marble bust, Demeter spied a hook where an extraordinary silver helmet hung. Attached the helmet were a pair of small fluttering wings, still at the moment. And underneath the helmet was a pair of sandals, neatly juxtaposed. Attached to them, was a pair of wings. The young man who sat at the desk was called Hermes.  
  
"What is it, Demeter?" Hermes asked, looking up.  
  
"Persephone's gone," she said crisply, facing Hermes with her blue eyes. They were a hue of azure that immediately turned heads, especially now they were especially noticeable.  
  
Hermes raised a brow. "I suppose you want to speak to Zeus." Demeter nodded gravely. "I'll schedule you an appointment as soon as possible, but I can't guarantee that he'll show up on time... You know how he is with these things."  
  
"As long as he DOES show up."  
  
"Alright. I'll set the date for tomorrow, if that's fine with you," he replied calmly and he scribbled the date down on a piece of parchment and tucked it in a leather-bound appointment book.   
  
"Any date," Demeter felt her voice shaking as it grew hoarse.   
  
"Have something to drink before you go," Hermes offered and Hebe immediately appeared with a glass. Demeter conjured her own chair and sat opposite Hermes.  
  
"Don't you have any duties at the moment?" Demeter asked, lifting her glass to take a sip.   
  
"Not at the moment, really. Everyone is preoccupied with harvest. I assume you and Dionysus are the most busy of us all."  
  
"I was busy," said Demeter, looking forlornly inside her glass," But without Persephone, I can't seem to do anything." A tear welled from her deep azure eyes and splashed inside her glass, she watched the ripples in the water and then looked up. "Thank you," she said with high emotion and put her glass down. As she stood up, her chair disappeared instantly.  
  
"You're welcome," he replied as she turned on her heel and strode back to the door with her elegant gait. Hermes leaned back in his chair as she closed the door with a dry click.  
  
  
  
The next day came, but the next day went and nothing happened. Demeter traveled to Olympus again but Zeus never came to meet her. She sat in a chair in his office for vast amounts of time. She was unsure of how much time had actually passed when she finally got up, hopeless. Demeter did not schedule another appointment. Instead, she put on her cloak and left crestfallen.  
  
Demeter, herself made her home in a small manor in the middle of a bright forest. Actually, she preferred the outdoors to her manor and was usually outside, enjoying the nature and working to make trees bloom, bear fruit, green leaves from dawn to dusk. Rarely, she left the realm of nature but she found herself in deep despair at everything she saw outside because it all seemed to pertain to her daughter.  
  
So she found herself wandering inside and up the staircase into her bedroom. Her room was rather simple since she rarely spent time in it. The furnishings included a bed with a brass frame, a bedside table and a candle. There was a large window across from the bed that had no curtains. The only other piece of furniture was a full-length mirror. The other walls were stark white.  
  
She fell on the bed, not even bothering to remove her cloak. Always barefoot, she did not have shoes to remove. She found herself shedding bitter tears unto her pillow and shaking with sobs.   
  
After the tears had all fallen and her sobbing subsided, she got to her feet and tossed the cloak rather carelessly on the hardwood floor. She walked into the adjoining room. It, too had an air of simplicity, but it was beautiful and colors were vibrant everywhere.  
  
For one thing, there were flowers everywhere- a chain of daises threaded around the window frame, the doorway. There were no curtains, either, but on the window sills stood a whole row of beautiful bouquets in simple vases. The bouquets were spread all over the room, making it wonderfully fragrant.   
  
In one corner, was a small, but comfortable-looking cot. Besides, that, a candle stub, the curtains, and the flowers, the room was bare. Demeter walked over to the cot and laid herself down on her back. She looked at the vaulted ceiling as dusk fell. She saw the magical lights from the sunset flood the room and the pink, purple, and red shades thrown on the ceiling.   
  
When the sun had completely set, she closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed and became more rhythmic, and she fell asleep.   
  
The next day dawned again, but she remained asleep.   
  
The dew drops clung to the crisp, yellowing leaves. Hadn't they been a ripe, luscious green just yesterday? The flowers had all bent over, as if from grief, limp and lifeless. The crops were shriveled and lacking. What had happened to Demeter? everyone asked. Where was she when everyone needed her most?   
  
The sun rose on a warm, humid autumn day. The fields were empty and the smell of hay and overripe foods were overtaking the whole countryside. The vegetables and fruits were either dry or rotten. The farmers, devastated went to the temples everyday, but for naught. Where was their goddess?  
  
After a week it was plainly obvious that something strange was happening. People had no food to eat and nothing had been stored because the harvesting season had only just begun. After a week people were beginning to beg- on the streets, in alleys, at houses of the elite upper class, anyone who appeared to better off then themselves.  
  
The leaves had long since fallen from the branches and the towns looked almost ready for winter, though autumn had just come. The god could no longer ignore the dying plant life or the beggars roaming the country. Greece was starving and someone needed to do something.   
  
  
  
There was a quiet knock on the heavy oak door. Almost so quiet that he did not hear it. But the place was so quiet that it did not escape his ears. He sat on a small stool with the Aegis, his shield, next to him. It was quite enormous and polishing it was a very tedious task. He put it down for a moment.  
  
"Come in," he said in a rough voice.  
  
The door opened with a loud creak and in stepped the slender figure of Iris. She closed the door behind her very softly and looked at him with large, pleading eyes.  
  
He ran his eyes over her figure tastefully, admiring the well-curved hips and small waist. She cleared her throat, "Thank you for accepting my call without previous notice."  
  
He simply nodded. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked, looking at her attentively.   
  
She clutched her hands nervously in front of her, "Ehr.. well... I don't know if you noticed bu-" she looked at the marble floor in front of her. She felt so small and timid in the large room. The ceilings soared with large windows through which sunlight streamed. Zeus was in the center of room, sitting on a stool with his Aegis. Besides that there was nothing else in the room. This only emphasized her humbleness. She swallowed.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I don't know if you noticed," she began again," but your daughter is missing." He looked at her questioningly. "Persephone, I mean," she added quickly and the tense muscles in her face relaxed.  
  
He looked at her pensively for a moment. "How do you know?"  
  
"Well, we went out together one morning and we-uhm... we-uh played a game... and- ehr, she- uhm... never came back."  
  
"Came back from what?"  
  
"Well, m'lord, we were playing, uhm, hide-and-seek... We, the nymphs and I, think that she may have been kidnapped."  
  
"Did anyone, ehr, bear witness to her abduction?" he stood up and in swift strides was walking towards the door, towards her.  
  
"N-n-not that I know of-" she eyed him apprehensively. Her hand were growing extremely clammy as he neared her.   
  
He walked up to her, it felt much closer to her than he really was and she felt her space was invadaded and prespired more. It seemed to her that she could feel his breath in her thick mahogany-colored hair. Iris felt some sort of panic arise in her, and she felt her heart pick up speed dramactically. "What's wrong?" he asked her, in his deep tenor voice.   
  
She took a step back. "I thought that maybe you should know the crops in the fields have desintigrated as well-"   
  
Suddenly, she thought she saw him sweating, too. " You havent' seen Demeter around Olympus, either, have you?  
  
"I haven't been to Olympus anytime recent.  
  
"That's right. I'm sorry.  
  
"It's alright," she said, shaking her brown curls.   
  
"You're probably wondering what this might have to do with Demeter," he said, reading the thoughts off her mind. Suddenly the realization did come to her, but he continued nevertheless, "Demeter cannot seem to function without her daughter-"  
  
"-your daughter-" Iris found herself correcting him.  
  
He cleared his throat, "Yes, our daughter- they are indeed very close."  
  
"Yes, I know," she tried to sound meek and humble, while actually being rather annoyed at him for stating the obvious.  
  
"I know you have things to do, Iris, but would you kindly stop by her house on your way back? Just check up on her... I'm a bit worried." he asked politely. "Hermes will come with you.  
  
Iris considered his request skeptically. It was his daughter who was missing, couldn't he show more caring? But she found herself saying, "Alright. Thank you for your time." she curtseyed quickly and left the room, closing the heavy door behind her, but even as she did, she felt his eyes on her back, as if they were looking through the closed door for a long time. When she turned the corner, she felt relieved.   
  
She knew her way around fairly well, and with her conversation with Zeus off her mind, she concentrated on Hermes. She found him at his old-fashioned desk in a room almost as bare as the one she had been directed to earlier to talk with Zeus. Together, they made their way down from Olympus. Hermes donned his helmet and sandals and held Iris' hand on the journey through to the air.   
  
She loved traveling through the air, her hair would flap in the breeze, but she could care less. The flight was exhilarating and she barely gave Persephone or Demeter another thought until they neared the house.   
  
They found the door unlocked, which was not unusual, but when they went up the staircase, they found Demeter upstairs. She was lying asleep in Persephone's room, which was still fragrant with flowers. Hermes had to nudge her several times until she finally awoke.  
  
She looked at them, but said nothing. Tears began to well in her eyes. "Please Demeter," Hermes said, a pleading look in his handsome blue eyes, " the people are starving. Do something."  
  
Demeter simply rolled over on the cot and faced the wall. "Please, Demeter," Iris said. "Zeus promised he will try to find Persephone!"  
  
At this, she turned to face them once more. "I can't do anything without my Persephone," and she sadly shook her head. "I won't do anything without Persephone."  
  
  
  
"Not without Persephone, m'lord," Hermes said.  
  
Zeus sighed. "I suppose there's nothing to be done besides look for her."  
  
"Where do you propose we would search first? After all, she could be anywhere."  
  
He found himself sighing once more. "We should consult Apollo's oracle before we do anything-"  
  
"Rightly so."  
  
The next day, Zeus himself went to Apollo, who brought the Oracle to Olympus. The meeting was very brief and there was hardly an exchange of words.  
  
"Persephone- where is she now?"  
  
The oracle was silent for a moment or two. Finally he said, "The lord of the underworld has her."  
  
Already, Hermes was sent on his way to retrieve her.  
  
  
  
I'm sorry, I know that probably wasn't worth waiting so long for, but let me know what you thought of it anyway. Click that button! Thanks! 


	3. Bittersweet Happiness

Hello again! When I was first planning out this fic, I had already had in mind that it was NOT going to end up Hades & Persephone. When I finished with this chapter, though, I wasn't sure anymore. I already have another character in mind for a possible pairing, however I won't reveal him unless I get a strong response against Hades. So let me know- P&? or P&H!   
  
Warning: Slight swearing in this chapter, so beware... Just in case you didn't know- this is the THIRD chapter. THe Author's note has been replaced with chapter Two, so make sure to read (and review, of course) that first.  
  
Just need to clear up one more thing- Technically, Persephone is Hades' niece. Since Hades and Zeus are brothers and she is his and Demeter's (Who is also their sister) daughter. So for the sake of this story (and our morality), I'm going to try to ignore all these bloodlines. Okie with everyone?  
  
Happy Readings!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER THREE: BITTERSWEET HAPPINESS  
  
Dark. Black. Persephone had never been in such a dark room before in her life. The heavy velvet curtains were drawn closed, refusing to let in any light. Not that there was much light to shut out anyway. She lay on top of the down quilt, instead of under it, but her head rested on the pillow.   
  
She looked at the black paisely-patterned canopy of her four-poster bed which she could barely make out, and tried to recollect what had happened to her. She remained hopelessly confused and could do nothing but repeatedly smooth the black silk nightgown she was wearing. She didn't even remember how she had ended up in it! Panic slowly arose deep within her. Her memories were all lost...  
  
Some time ago, she had been SOMEbody, hadn't she? But who? She felt as though she had known before, but that seemed eternities long ago. She could only see a picture of a beautiful flower in her head and she could almost feel the touch of its delicate petals in her hand, but then her thoughts blacked out. Then she saw herself at a black marble table with a pale, handsome, but formidable man. The rest of her thoughts were drowned out by dreary music that seemed to echo in her mind. And then she was here. In these clothes.   
  
Suddenly, the door opened. No creak, no click as he closed it behind him. Persephone had closed her eyelids, but suddenly she sat upright as she sensed another presence in her room. And there he was, siting on the edge of her bed. She looked at him with wide eyes and she could feel herself growing afraid of his figure.   
  
"For you," he said and held out his pale hand to her. In his square palm lay a flower. Not A flower, but THE flower. She looked at it wide-eyed but did not take it. He waited patiently for her to reach for it, but eventually he took her small hand. She quickly pulled back her hand from his touch. He didn't wince, he didn't appear hurt. He merely adjusted his position so that he sat directly in front of her on the bed. He leaned over to her, so close that Persephone could feel his breath on her cheek. She was nearly paralyzed with fear. What was he going to do to her? But he only removed the crown of wilting flowers in her hair and placed it on the bedside table and took the flower and put in her hair, almost by her ear.  
  
He then took her hand, very gently, very softly and put it on his cheek. His skin on his cheek was smooth and further down his jaw she could feel a slight stubble from his shaven beard. He placed his hand over hers and looked at her. She felt some cold tingle inside her when he gazed at her with soulful, but sorrowful indigo eyes. She could see them sparkle even in the dark.  
  
"Who are you?" She studied his face with some sort of a shame, she felt as though she was not supposed to be looking at him. His hair was dark and slicked back neatly. His face was pallid but to her chagrin, she found him oddly sensual. The shadows in his face transformed him into an older man-somehow more handsome. But where did the shadows come from? There was no source of light. Persephone wanted to draw away from him, but at the same time, move closer.  
  
"You do not know me?" he asked, and he gently let go of her hand. His eyes were clearly his best feature, but as she looked into them now she felt dirty; it seemed to her that he knew every single thought passing through her head...  
  
She shook her head. "I don't even know where I am," she said, her voice sounding tearful. "I don't think I even know who I am." She pulled her knees up to her body and leaned her head against them.  
  
"Then we are the same," he said softly. She sensed empathy that she didn't want to notice in his deep voice.  
  
"But you must at least know where I am," she said, looking up at him with her green eyes.  
  
"It does not matter. Any place is the same," he said.  
  
"No!" Persephone protested. "Haven't you been any place away from here? It's different. I know it is-"  
  
"Tell me about it," he said and he moved into a more comfortable position, as if he was preparing to listen to a long story.  
  
"Bright and beautiful. Flowers..." she said dreamily. A long pause, which seemed much longer in the dark.  
  
"Surely you remember more than that."  
  
Persephone looked at the bedspread and turned crimson, hopefully he wouldn't notice in the dim room. "I-I-uhm.... Frankly, I don't remember more, even though I know it hasn't been long ago-"  
  
"-About a week, I believe," he interrupted matter-of-factly.  
  
"- Yes, but it doesn't feel like a week. I can't remember anything I've done here or what I did before.... I think I've been here forever." she looked at him mournfully.   
  
He shook his head. "The DEAD stay here forever..." he spoke softly and slowly. And he stood up and walked to the door.  
  
"You're...-"she swallowed.  
  
"I'm what?" he turned around swiftly, she saw his eyes glinting again in the dark.  
  
"Death...?" She said it as a question, though she had a feeling she already knew. Inside, she could've kicked herself for not knowing.   
  
"I'm nobody," he whispered as he opened the door noiselessly. Dim lighting from the hallway formed a rectangle of light in her room. "Just like you."  
  
"But I AM someone!" Persephone said indignantly, feeling tears stream down her cheeks. "I AM someone...." she said again, more softly as he closed the door behind him. She fell back on the sheets. "I am someone... I am someone..." she said softly to herself as she closed the curtains of the canopy bed before curling up. Finally, she rolled over on her side and fell asleep almost immediately, but not before she gingerly took the orchid from her hair and left it on the bedside table.  
  
  
  
"I'm afraid I know nothing about it," he spoke firmly.   
  
"Don't play that game," He said in a dangerous voice. "This is Zeus' daughter we're talking about here."  
  
"He doesn't give a damn abou-" the pale face of his was turning florid with intensity.  
  
"Whether he does or doesn't does not play a role," Hermes seemed to be trying to stare holes into the man opposite him.  
  
Hermes was undeniably not intimidated by the Lord of the Dead. He looked straight back into those large indigo eyes, equally fierce, equally determined to achieve. No, Hermes was not leaving Hades' realm without Persephone. But Hades matched Hermes unmistakably well, if not better. He had the same look in those breathtaking eyes.  
  
"He's never even paid her any mind."  
  
"She's his daughter, of course he cares. And his wrath will find you if you don't give her up. Related by blood or not, I advise you to watch your back."  
  
"If he cares so much, why isn't he here to get her himself?" Hades narrowed his eyes.  
  
"He's busy," said the God through clenched teeth.  
  
"So busy that he ignores all reports of his missing daughter?"   
  
"Demeter came to Olympus to say she was gone, and I passed on the messa-"  
  
"But he ignored the appointment, didn't he?" Hades' voice was slicing through the air like a knife.  
  
"How would you know abo-"   
  
Hades ignored the puzzled visage on Hermes' face and continued, "In fact, Iris came to Olympus especially to talk about Persephone. He HEARD every single word she said, but he ignored everything but the LUST she brought forth in him!" he said slowly, but with a dark zeal. "He doesn't give a DAMN. He does NOT care."  
  
"He has things to do," said Hermes crisply.  
  
"Like seducing innocent women?" he replied cynically. He rubbed his chin, mocking thought, "Well, let's see- hmmmm, isn't that exactly how you came into being?"  
  
A fire burned in Hermes' blue, normally calm eyes. He thought steam was coming out of his ears. Hades knew immediately that he had hit a nerve. Quickly, Hermes picked up his ice water and took several long sips. He calmed himself. "You're not one to talk about seducing women," he shot back and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"I haven't done anything to her," he said softly.   
  
"So she is here..."   
  
"Who said she was here?"   
  
"Wherever she is, bring her to me- now," Hermes said, not letting himself be discouraged.   
  
"As you wish," and he grinned slyly as he snapped his fingers. Immediately a hooded figure in black appeared. "Show him the way," he addressed the hooded figure. "But don't think that this means I've given up."  
  
"You'll give up when Zeus is through with you, alright," Hermes said confidently, with a slight sneer. However, he was not about to admit that the half-smile still plastered on Hades' face was making him feel increasingly shifty. Hermes knew the lord of the dead was going to lead him to Persephone, he could tell. But something made him uneasy. And that grin on his frozen lips... What tricks did Hades have up his sleeve now? He looked back at the Lord of the dead once, and then, helmet in hand, followed the servant.   
  
They turned corridors, walked down endlessly long hallways, stepped down winding staircases, so that Hermes began to feel like a small mouse in a maze. His senses told him that Hades had done this on purpose, which made him more determined than ever not to falter or fall for any of his tricks.   
  
Hermes almost didn't notice when they stopped in front of a door. It was dark, polished wood with a silver doorknob. Hermes simply stood in front of the door for a while, wondering what would be behind it. Would Persephone really be inside? Just before he was about to turn the knob and go inside, he noticed the hooded figure who had led him, was gone. No matter, he'd find his way back somehow. After, all he WAS Hermes, and he let himself in.  
  
Persephone woke up the same time she heard someone opening the door. Waking up in the mornings, she was used to sunlight glowing in her room and the smell of her flowers. However, when she woke up, her room was dim, especially her bed, since she still had the curtains drawn around it.   
  
Suddenly, the curtains parted and a head poked in. She gasped. "Hermes!" the words fell from her lips. The minute she saw him, she knew a part of what she had been trying to remember: Olympus and the other Gods.  
  
Without a word, he scooped her up from the bed and carried her to the door, like a bride being carried over a threshold.   
  
"Let me down, I can walk," Persephone protested, showing the rebellious side of her "I'm-sixteen-years-old-now-and-I-can-do-things-on-my-own" self.  
  
He complied and after the two were on foot, Hermes took her hand protectively, like an older brother and they made their way down gloomy corridors with poor lighting.   
  
Hermes felt the hand holding Persephone's growing clammy as he noticed that they were definitely not getting anywhere.   
  
"Haven't we been down this way already?" asked Persephone, unsure.  
  
"No," said Hermes quickly- too quickly. Persephone looked at him dubiously. She had just opened her mouth and was about to retort, when a dark figure appeared. Persephone thought, Hermes jumped nearly a foot in the air.  
  
"Lost?" Hades asked. Persephone wondered if that had been a smirk on his face.  
  
"No," Hermes said again.  
  
Hades gave a mock-irritated sigh. "Hermes, frankly- you can't lie for shit." Persephone watched Hermes turn crimson. "I'm letting you go- but remember, I'm not doing it for YOU," Hades motioned at Hermes. And suddenly, next to him, on the very wall that Hades was leaning against, appeared a door.   
  
Persephone marveled at it. Completely of glass, it threw a rectangle of light on the black marble floor. It looked so completely foreign in the unlighted halls of the Realm of the Lord of the Dead. Through it, Persephone could see a beautiful field of long grass and wildflowers. And suddenly, she remembered the small manor in the woods, and the scent of her room was already creeping to her nostrils. Oh, how she wanted to go through that door! She already felt herself reaching for the doorknob.   
  
"Not yet," Hades said. Persephone was chilled again at the thought of him reading her mind. He took the hand that was reaching for the door. And from inside his cloak, he withdrew THE flower. Persephone was filled with awe at it, and secretly puzzled. Why hadn't it wilted yet? He put it in her palm and closed her fingers around it. "It was for you. Keep it." Then he turned her hand over and kissed it. His lips only barely brushed her hand but she felt their coolness, and once again, Persephone felt an icy frost throughout her body.   
  
Hermes shot Hades another dark glance, which did not dishearten the Lord of the Dead at all, and opened the door for Persephone. She strolled out into the sunshine, and every scent, every bird, sound, flower, every memory, every time she had been here returned to her. She knew this was it. Why had her mind locked out these memories at Hades' palace? It didn't matter, she was here now...  
  
Out of impulse, she threw a quick glance back, but Hades was already gone. Hermes took her hand once more and this time they traveled by air. The sky was a wonderful deep blue, and the sun was just right. She could feel cool air rushing through her hair... Cool air... cool... cold... cold lips- His Cold Lips- Persephone couldn't help looking back just once more. But he wasn't there, and the door was gone. too.   
  
  
  
After the week that had passed, Demeter found how much she had truly missed her daughter. And she could sense an aura surrounding her daughter, too. One of well-being and appreciation of being home. For the first time since Persephone had arrived at teenage-dom, her mother tucked her into bed.   
  
"I can't express how happy I am right now," said Persephone, stifling a yawn.  
  
"I can't express how happy I am to have you back," said Demeter, stroking her daughter's forehead lovingly.   
  
Demeter was somewhat unsure of herself. As her role of mother, was it her job to ask what had happened to her daughter? Or was it Persephone's role as daughter to assure her mother that nothing had happened to her? Did her daughter WANT her to ask if she was alright? Maybe she didn't want to talk about it.   
  
Demeter looked around the room. During the while that Persephone had been gone, the flowers in the vases had wilted. For absolutely no reason, it seemed. "We'll get new flowers for your room tomorrow," Demeter said.  
  
Persephone didn't want to tell her mother, but the wilted flowers evoked a strange and curious feeling that she wanted explore further- if she dared. To see flowers DEAD for the first time in her life, attracted her. It scared her, how she liked to see them in their vases, limp and lifeless, all around her room. Speculations, they were, of death and the life that once was in them. It was as if there was some magnetic force from her eyes to those flowers, because she could not stop looking at and admiring them...  
  
She couldn't even believe herself what she was thinking. Flowers were most beautiful alive, she told herself.... but secretly she admired their wilting petals. "Yes, let's get new flowers," she said finally. "Beautiful, fresh, and alive."  
  
"Iris has missed you, did you know?" Demeter said. "Someone told me she inquired after you at Olympus almost every day. Why don't you take her along tomorrow?"   
  
"Yes," said Persephone slowly, obviously distracted.  
  
Demeter turned around to see what Persephone was looking at. And it caught her eye immediately. Among the dead flowers, was a very beautiful, still fresh one. She plucked it out of the bunch. "Wow, how beautiful... Where'd you find it?"  
  
"Right before I met... Hades," said Persephone pensively.  
  
Demeter looked at her daughter imploringly, "You're alright?"  
  
"I'm fine. He didn't do anything bad to me at all." Persephone managed a weak smile. "I don't think he's the person everyone else has judged him to be."  
  
"You mean he's worse," Demeter said, eyeing her daughter critically.  
  
"I think you judge him too quickly," Persephone replied. Why was she defending her kidnapper? And to her horror, she found herself saying,"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."  
  
Demeter's face sunk. And she sighed. Her daughter was different now. Something was inside her now that had never been there before. In one week? I suppose that's what a visit to the underworld does to you, she pondered. Was it a new maturity? Whatever it was, it brought forth more of a woman in Persephone. She had taken the first step from an innocent young girl who loved the world to a woman- a Goddess... Much earlier than she herself had grown out of naiveness, she mused.   
  
"You must be tired," she said quietly. "Why don't you go to sleep now?" And she pecked her daughter's cheek.  
  
Persephone looked at her mother's face, "Mama..."   
  
Demeter knew exactly what Persephone wanted but was too shy to ask. She laid herself down beside her daughter on the simple cot. "I'll stay until you fall asleep," she said soothingly.   
  
And Persephone was reassured by her mother's presence and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed and took a very regular rate. When Demeter was sure enough that Persephone was asleep, she carefully rolled off the cot and made her way to her own bedroom. Yes, Persephone was growing up... Had she only realized now?  
  
  
  
"Pomegranate?" Demeter gasped. She was on her daily ritual visit at Olympus.  
  
"That's right," Zeus said solemnly.   
  
"B-but, it can't be- n-" Demeter found herself stumbling over her words.  
  
"She'll have to go back-"  
  
  
  
Hope you liked it! Remember H&P or H&? (or possibly both). Click that button, please!! 


	4. Carpe Diem

AN: I'm so sorry for updating so late (projects galore past two weeks), but school is out in less than two weeks (YAY!!!!!), so I'll be updating more frequently. =)  
  
THANK YOU, REVIEWERS!  
  
black rose: thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chappie!  
  
badass: I'm getting to it... Hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing it!  
  
Seph: Thank you for reviewing and thanks for your opinion. I will DEFINITELY keep Hades an active part of the story, don't worry. Haven't quite decided on the pairings yet, though.   
  
Sarah: Thanks for your review!   
  
FRAGILEg0dess: Thank you! You made me smile today =)   
  
Basic FYI: Names are taken from other stories in Greek/ Roman Mythology: Etiocles- Brother of protagonist who killed himself from the play "Antigone" by Sophocles; Thisbe- the story of Pyramus & Thisbe, a lot like Romeo and Juliet- Also, "Carpe Diem" is latin for "seize the day" (I'm just including this because I, myself didn't know for a LONG time...)  
  
Anyway, I'll shut up now- Enjoy!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FOUR: CARPE DIEM   
  
His parents called him Adonis. His father had hated the name, of course. The eldest sons had to be named after their father and carry on the name, he had said. Well, it was too late now, for Etiocles was long dead. Adonis flicked a sandy-haired curl behind his ear and made his way up the coarse dirt path from the fields. The dust clung to his sandals as he took his time walking in the dirt.  
  
The sun had already wandered across the magnificent blue early-autumn sky and was slowly setting, throwing longer shandows across the dirt. Adonis felt the warmth of the sunset on his back as he carried his hoe over his shoulder and he quickened his pace. He had to get home before it was dark. He looked down at the ground, carefully stepping over stones and potholes in the path. His eyes fell on his long shadow.   
  
It seemed that his shadow was nearly as long as he had always imagined he had thought his father to be tall. He had imagined Etiocles to be a great man. That man who you would watch in the fields as a small child, admiring his strength, his endurance and attachment to his work.  
  
A part of him longed to uncover the truth, longed to know... but the other side of him was too scared. Scared of what he would find. He would rather preserve his image of that ideal father than find out what had really been and have these thoughts shattered; so he had never asked his mother. At times, the insatiable curiosity did overcome him, wondering for the umpteenth time about his father.   
  
It was too late to ask his mother now. Thisbe had died several years back. Adonis didn't even seem to remember when or why. Perhaps because he had wanted to forget about it. She had not died because of him, he could not have done anything to alter her fate, he told himself repeatedly. And that was the end of it. He had no regrets for it was not his fault-  
  
He continued his way on the path, trying to think of lighter thoughts, for it was still quite a way until he would reach his grandparents' little cottage he called home. The hoe he carried over his shoulder seemed to grow heavier with each step. He stopped to pull out a smudged   
  
The sun was setting slowly, he thought to himself, for he could still feel it warm on the back of his neck. Almost as if time was going slower and slower- and suddenly it stopped. He saw her. She looked in his face. And she ran.  
  
He dropped his hoe and following first instincts, ran after her. It seemed she wasn't real, he didn't even know who she was, but he had to catch her. Whoever she was. She veered off the path into dense underbrush into a forest. Stepping over obstacles in his way, he continued follow.   
  
Long Strawberry Blonde hair with highlights fanned out behind her. With every step, he became closer to her- he could almost grasp the ends of her wavy hair. He felt like metal drawn to a magnet- her.   
  
She suddenly sped up and before he could adjust his pace, she was out of sight.  
  
"Wait!" he called after her, but her figure seemed to have blended in with the long shadows of the tall trees in the forest. Who had she been? He puzzled about her even as he strode in the direction of where he thought he had left his hoe. But, alas, he could not find his way back to the dirt path. He continued to wander among bushes, through groves of thick trees, even crossing several small creeks, but he only wandered further into the forest.  
  
By the time he at last accepted that he was lost, the sun had long since set and the last lights of dusk had vanished. The sky was darkening, and stars were slowly becoming visible on the deep violet-indigo canvas. Though he was lost and alone, he couldn't help sighing as he looked above him.   
  
Even as he was still wandering through the dark forest, he gazed up at the sky from time to time. When he finally gave up, he decided to go searching again in the morning and scrambled up a tree. He sank down to rest on one of the highest boughs in the canopy which gave him a free vision to the stars.  
  
With his head slowly beginning to lean on his shoulder, he fell asleep, but he dreamt he was sleeping on a soft bed of long luxurious hair....- Strawberry blonde hair-  
  
When he woke up from his dream, it was still dark, but he was a farmer boy who stood up before sunrise. He could hear birds chirping already in the canopies of neighboring trees. He was rather surprised he had managed to stay asleep in the tree without falling down, and he quickly climbed down.  
  
He used his shadow to orienteer himself. He knew that the sun rose in the East which would mean his shadow would point West. He also knew the fields he worked in were somewhat south of his house, so he did his best to find the direction. Hopefully, he thought to himself, he was going in the right direction. And secretly, in the back of his mind he hoped that he'd find the girl with long wavy hair again.   
  
  
  
Persephone had found the kittens on her own. Two were slate gray and had blue and green-yellow eyes. One was white as chalk, the other black, and her favorite was black and white. She had named her Dinnie and carefully placed her back in her lap and scratched her stomach. Dinnie purred, and with a tiny paw reached for Persephone's long locks. She giggled as it pushed her hair back and forth.   
  
What she loved most about Dinnie, she thought to herself, was probably her mixed colors. She looked as if she hadn't been able to decide between black and white and had repeatedly changed her mind, Persephone mused. She lay down on the grass on her stomach with the kittens in front of her. She cooed at them and let them play with her long hair as she reached her lips over and planted kisses in their soft fur. Oh, how she loved them!   
  
Absorbed in her games with the litter of kittens, Persephone did not notice someone approaching her from behind. She looked up startled as her mother knelt down beside her in the ripe green grass.  
  
"You scared me!" Persephone said, her face relaxing slowly, and she smiled that 100-watt smile at her mother's gentle face.  
  
Her mother returned the smile. "What are you doing?" and she eyed the kittens curiously.   
  
"I found this litter behind a bush just today. I already fed them, so I'm playing with them right now," she answered, a smile still resting on her lips. However, she was uneasy because whenever her mother made small talk like this it usually meant that she had something important to break to her daughter.  
  
"They are a cute bunch, aren't they?" Demeter sighed ,"Have you seen their mother around?"  
  
"No," Persephone said, her voice growing somewhat melancholy, "I think she's either dead or she may have abandoned them."   
  
"That's terrible... Does it mean that you're going to take care of them now?"  
  
"Well someone has to. "  
  
"That's horrible- to be abandoned, I mean-"  
  
"You're not planning to abandon ME, are you?" Persephone asked, narrowing her eyebrows in mock-suspicion.  
  
"No, no, of course not," And Demeter flung her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "You would never think I would do that to you, would you-"  
  
"-No." Persephone said, shaking her magnificent hair. "Why?"  
  
Demeter put her hands on Persephone's shoulders and held her face away from hers. "Persephone-"  
  
"What is it?" she looked at her mother, concerned.  
  
But Demeter avoided the question and instead asked, "What did you eat when you were there?"  
  
Persephone looked down at the ground, trying to search her memory, as if it had been years ago. Demeter's eyes grew wider. "I-I really don't remember, Mother," she said earnestly and shook her head. A deep furrow had formed between her eyebrows. "I just can't seem to recall."  
  
"Pomegranate?" her mother looked at her, a very serious expression on her face.  
  
The words fell from Persephone's lips almost immediately as she suddenly remember the severed pomegranate, "Why, I only ate three seeds!" And as soon as the words had left her lips, she realized the sheer horror of what she had actually done.  
  
Demeter clasped her hand in front of her mouth, "Dear God-" and she took Persephone in her arms again.   
  
"Am I going to die?" Persephone sounded more cynical than she had meant to.  
  
"No- it just means you'll have to go back."  
  
"Forever?" Persephone felt her eyes growing wide. She remember the strange attraction of his indigo eyes, the smooth voice, sleek ways. The recollection suddenly made her feel dirty in a way she couldn't explain. As if it was WRONG to think about him.   
  
"No, just part of the year," Demeter's voice sounded falsely optimistic."You'll be back in 5- or even 4 months!"  
  
"I see," she answered crisply. Picking up the five kittens in the hem of her dress, she said, "I think I'll go home for now." Her mother looked at her, puzzled. "To rest," Persephone added quickly.  
  
"Alright. You know where to find me?"  
  
"Yes," she replied and breezed by the trees. As she walked she turned around and called back to her mother, who was still sitting in the grass, " When do I leave?"  
  
"Tomorrow!" her mother called back.  
  
Persephone sighed and continued on her way through the forest. So this was the price one paid for being hungry... She cursed herself for having eaten those seeds- she had known, of course, that they were the food of the dead, hadn't she? Then why had she eaten them anyway? Why had she even picked the flower in the first place? Why did Hades make her feel that way he did? She shuddered.  
  
As she opened the front door, she couldn't recall ever spending a day inside by herself- especially when the weather was as nice as it was today. She sighed again. Life was changing. And at the moment, she wasn't quite sure whether it was for better or worse. She'd have to wait until tomorrow. She decided to push the thoughts out of her head until then and she strode into the kitchen to find herself a basket for her five kittens.  
  
After lining her newfound basket with soft cloth and materials, she put the kittens inside and carried it upstairs to her room. Setting it absentmindedly in a corner, she surveyed her room carefully. She hadn't gone flower-picking with Iris yet, so her room was still full of wilting flowers. There was one exception, however, and that was THE flower. It was lying on her cot at the moment, still as fresh and alive as the day she had picked it up.   
  
She reached for it gingerly and moved some flowers around so that she could sit on the windowsill. Looking out into the sunny world, she saw mostly trees. But that wasn't what she was really watching. She was observing birds in their branches, flying about, chirping cheerfully at one another, and flying from tree to tree. If they were able to migrate every year to a foreign place, and return home every year, so could she.  
  
She held the flower delicately between her fingers and in one swift move, she had opened the window and tossed the orchid outside. She saw the dark purple on the grass, contrasting sharply with the green. She paid it no more mind, and walked back across the room to tend to her kittens.  
  
  
  
Adonis was still wondering around in the forest at noontime. He could feel his stomach growling and his feet were sore and protesting, too. Was he ever going to get out of here? Maybe he'd run into someone who could show him the way back. His back was truly aching by the time he reached a large clearing, so he sat down on the banks of a large stream that ran through it.   
  
As his feet were cooling in the water, he saw a girl on the other side. No- THE GIRL. She had a bouquet of beautiful flowers in her arms to which she was about to add another flower, when she looked up and saw him.   
  
"Hello," she looked straight into his face.  
  
"Hello," he echoed, mesmerized by her deep green eyes.  
  
She put down her large bouquet and sat on the other bank across from him. "Who are you?" she asked quietly, but still loud enough for him to hear over the sounds of the rushing water.  
  
"You're beautiful," he said, as from a dream.   
  
Persephone's eyes softened. Who was that stranger, she asked herself. He had light brown hair with natural highlights (probably from working out in the sun frequently, she pondered), a muscular physique, and olive skin- so unlike the pale hue of hers. The round hazel staring back at her and high cheekbones made his face look soft and warm. Suddenly, Persephone felt like he was the sun and she was in a field of ice. And he thought SHE was beautiful.  
  
Adonis had let the words come out of his mouth too soon. He hadn't meant to say that, but her face had relaxed (looking prettier, still) and she looked back at him with anticipation. What was she waiting for him to say? "My name is Adonis, son of Etiocles," he said rather awkwardly, staring down at his feet in the water.  
  
"May I call you Adonis?" Persephone asked, amazed at herself for speaking so boldly to a stranger.   
  
"If you give me your name in return-" he said, half smiling at her.  
  
Persephone shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
"What? Your name? Or if you should give me your name or not?" he was still smiling.  
  
"Call me what you like."  
  
"What would you like to be called?" he asked her.  
  
"Anything."  
  
"Can I call you Aphrodite? You're so beautiful..." he said somewhat sheepishly.  
  
He looked so boyishly cute when he blushed, she mused and she laughed, exposing her white teeth and dimples. The moment her clear laughter rang out, she remembered her flowers and she lifted her feet out of the stream and picked her flowers up again as she stood up.  
  
"What are you doing? Can I help?" Adonis asked, and before she could manage to reply he was already crossing the stream.  
  
"Uhmm- I suppose you could," Persephone flashed the charming smile and dimples, "but then I insist on doing you a favor afterwards."  
  
"Perhaps. What are you doing?" he offered his arm out to take half of the flowers.  
  
"Just picking flowers," she said, splitting the flowers into two flagrantly unequal piles. To her dismay, he grabbed the heavier load. Inside, however, Persephone was overjoyed at thinking what a gentleman he was. "Thank you."  
  
They sat in the meadow for a long time, simply talking about nothing at all-, picking flowers, and looking at the sky. Persephone had never felt so happy before. The sun shone brightly and everything around her was alive. She thought she had never appreciated the nature so much as today- even when she was with Iris. She found herself surreptitiously glad that ultimately, she had ended up going outside by herself to gather flowers for her room.  
  
"You think these are enough?" he showed her the bunch he had picked.  
  
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "You've been a great helper!"   
  
"I'll help you carry them back to your room if you like," Adonis offered.   
  
"You're too nice! Thank you!" she said again, genuinely happy. Together they walked through the woods. Somehow, Persephone found her hand had slipped into his. It was warm and as they walked together, the scent of sweet flowers swimming through the air all around them, Persephone felt radiant and lovely- truly like a goddess.  
  
"You really are like Aphrodite," Adonis said quietly. He tilted his head to one side, studying her. He somehow had the feeling that she was not a person. Not a lovely girl holding a bunch of flowers, but she was a part of the bouquet herself. Perhaps both of them were- and she was the brilliant flower around which all revolved.  
  
When he had finally managed to stop gaping at her, they were standing in front of a rather large mansion, by his standards. She let go of his hand and ran towards the porch to put her flowers down.   
  
"You can put them down right here," she gestured to the spot next to her flowers.   
  
He breathed their scent in deeply one more time before he put them down, "Wonderful.."  
  
She looked at him shyly. "Thank You! Now what can I do for you?"  
  
"I just need to get back to the main road."  
  
"The farmers' road?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's easy enough," she said, still beaming at him. He thought she would eventually blind him with that smile. "Just follow me." And she took his hand in hers and together they began to run.  
  
When they reached the stream, Adonis offered to carry her, "I'll carry you acro-"  
  
"That's alright," she interrupted. She was filling so giddy and energetic, she wasn't even thinking about leaving for the Underworld. The only thoughts running through her head were "carpe diem... carpe diem-" and she cried, "I'll race you!" With agility she crossed the stream in two quick steps and dashed into the woods.  
  
Adonis was in close pursuit after his Aphrodite. When he finally caught up to her, she was panting, leaning against a tree trunk. She hadn't looked like it, but she was indeed, a very swift runner. As he saw her there, after she had caught her breath and smiling at him, he impulsively leaned forward and very softly brushed his lips against her cheek. There was something regal about her which had stopped him from kissing her lips.  
  
Adonis had been with girls before, with his looks, of course, they were falling all over him. However, it never made him vain or feel like had permission to misuse their feelings in any way. He was still that modest farm boy- working hard and long hours.  
  
After he withdrew his arms from around her, she said softly, "Just keep following that way-" she nudged her chin in a direction.  
  
"Thank you," he said and he grinned at her.  
  
"Thank YOU," she said.   
  
"Will I see you soon?"  
  
She merely smiled. She brushed her lips against his cheek. "Goodbye." Persephone knew she was leaving the next day. What would await her in Hades' palace? She began to shiver inside at the thought.  
  
  
  
Don't worry, H&P fans! THIS IS NOT THE FINAL COUPLING! I promise H&P stuff coming up in the next chapter! Remember to click that button! THANK YOU! 


	5. Price of a Pomegranate

Disclaimer: I don't own the story of Persephone and Hades...  
  
Author's Note: I owe everyone a sincere apology- school has been out for a week and I spent that week very busy so I didn't get to update. I hope this longer chapter compensates for it somewhat. I'll try to make it up to everyone. Thank you for your patience!  
  
Some more FYI: Caligo- latin for darkness; Alba- relating to whiteness (ie albino)  
  
The Lovely People Who Clicked the Button Last Time (Thank you!):  
  
Ellsie: Thank you! I'm so glad you like it!! =)  
  
restlesspirit: Thank you!!  
  
demented-dreamer: You made my week with your comment! =) And thanks for input.  
  
Valiowk : Thanks for the compliment, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this chapter, too.   
  
On to the story!  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FIVE: PRICE OF A POMEGRANATE  
  
When she was welcomed at the door with gloomy eyes and a stern face from the same dark servant who had led Hermes to her room, she was not intimidated. Not so with her kittens, however. She was carrying them in the same basket, resting it on her hip and holding them close as they meowed pitifully.   
  
"Shhhh.... it's alright," she whispered soothingly and stroked them gently. For eating those seeds she was bound to this place, she thought. So this was the price of a pomegranate... and I will find out just how high of a price it really is, she thought to herself.   
  
"Whet's wrong wit yer kitties?"  
  
Persephone looked at him distastefully. "They're fine-"   
  
He pulled the hood further over his head, shadowing his eyes. "Must b'the dark. I s'posse they don't like the dark," he said, leading her out of the foyer.   
  
"I can't imagine anyone liking it," Persephone blurted out without thinking and immediately she bit her tongue, looking at the man with his hood pulled fiercely over his face.   
  
"Ye get used to it," he replied tersely began walking up a spiral staircase. When Persephone simply stood at the foot of the steps, still holding the basket with kittens, he motioned her to follow him. So in silence she followed him up the stairs, down long, black marbled corridors and to a room which she thought was the old one she had been in before. However, when he opened the door, she thought she must have been mistaken. The bedding and curtains around the canopy bed were still black paisley but the rest of the furniture- the walls were all bright and colorful.   
  
There was a large oak dresser with four drawers, on which she found her few sentimentally-valued objects that she had kept back at home. The pale lavender of the walls matched the breezy curtains on the large windows through which sunlight streamed. Sunlight? Where did it come from? She was in the underworld... But to her it didn't matter at the moment. Who cared- the room was pretty and she loved pretty things!  
  
The walls left of the large bed were lined with low waist-high bookcases full of large volumes with titles such as "To Experience Life in Nature", "Animals in Forests", and "Remarkable Flowering Plants Found in the Wild"- exactly the types of books she'd have picked.   
  
"I trust ye like it," the man said, noticing her lips turn slightly up into a smile. "He wanted it to be 'specially fer ye."   
  
"I'd like to thank him," Persephone found herself saying stiffly.   
  
"I s'posse ye'll be able to soon enough.." and he turned his back to her and walked out the door into the dark hallway.  
  
"Thank You," she said quietly and closed the door after he left. Leaning against the door, she looked around the new room again. It was as if he had read into her mind and done everything (but the black bed) the way that she would have done it. Then she saw the bouquets of flowers all over the room. WILTED flowers. With one fresh and beautiful orchid in the center of each one. Persephone felt goosebumps on her arms. How would he know about that?  
  
At that moment she absolutely set her mind to hating the room and everything in it. Her stubborn will would not cave in to anything. Secretly, in trains of thought that she would never even admit to herself of having, Persephone wanted to know more about the dark lord of the Underworld, and wanted to embrace the shadows and love the dead. This curiosity of darkness scared her as she thought about it now, glancing around the sun-filled room.   
  
When she heard the meowing of five cats, she remembered reality again and picked up the basket of cats, and setting it down on a small cushioned bench with off-white upholstery at the foot of her bed. She lifted them all out and set them down on her bedspread. She lay on her stomach on the bed and played with them, searching her mind for good names.   
  
The black one she decided to call Caligo, the white one she named Alba and lay on the bed for a long time, pondering names for her two gray kittens as she watched them play with Dinnie. Even as she watched the kittens, she rested her eyes, closing them, and finally fell asleep.   
  
She dreamt that she was flying in the sky with wings made of rainbow-colored grass and wore a beautiful gown of purple flowers. In her hair, was a woven crown of black orchids. As she flew, she found a young man with the same wings, flying around. She felt herself being pulled into something deep into the sky as she held his hand, being pulled into an invisible black hole. He held her hand, trying to pull her out, but her fingers slipped through his hand and she fell through the opening. She heard her voice screaming in the dream, and just as she disappeared through the hole, she woke up with a start and remembered the young man from the forest and recognized him as the same from her dream. Adonis... Adonis... the name echoed in her mind.   
  
She looked around her room again. Where were her kittens?  
  
  
  
Word was getting around Olympus, especially with avid gossipers like Hera herself, Echo, and the rest of the goddesses, who couldn't keep themselves from dishing the dirt. All kinds of stories were heard- from Persephone running away from home to be with dark and handsome Hades, to Hades kidnapping the young girl and holding her for ransom so that Zeus might re-divide the kingdoms so each brother would have an equal share.   
  
Zeus himself, however, paid no mind to the stories and ignored whatever he heard. Demeter did not ask him why he did not intercept the stories, for she followed his manner, but after a while she was not there any longer to hear the wild rumors. After several days had passed, Demeter's frequent visits to Olympus did not continue and she was now rarely seen with the other Gods and Goddesses anymore. The goddesses told each other that this was most likely because she did not want to face them and be confronted about it.   
  
The only ones who refused to partake in any of it were Zeus, who disliked hearing the tales about his daughter which became wilder each week; Hermes, who had fetched Persephone herself, and later found himself escorting her back; Demeter, whose face was not common at Olympus anymore; and Hephaestus, the kindest of the gods, who disliked rumor especially since he had had his fair share of the troubles it lead to in his difficult marriage to Aphrodite. The rest of them were rather enjoying the juicy tales, some more than others.   
  
No one really dared to confront Zeus about the truth, however. But the confident, and curious Hera couldn't stand the tension around those who knew what happened any longer and asked.   
  
Setting down her goblet after a sip, she asked with great nonchalance, "We haven't heard anything from Demeter lately- does anyone really know what's going on?  
  
The rest of the gods attending the meal struggled to keep a straight face.   
  
"That's because it's winter," Zeus explained, watching the entertainment.  
  
"Oh?" Hera asked with mock-concern.  
  
"The new seasons, I believe," said Hermes, used to answering questions. "It's snowing right now."  
  
"The seasons don't have anything to do with Demeter or her daughter do they?" Hera asked once again.   
  
"What do you mean?" Zeus turned to face his wife next to him.   
  
"I don't know," she shrugged casually. "It's just that I've heard Perseph-  
  
"That's enough," Zeus cut her off in a very final tone and he turned back to his plate, stabbing at random things with his fork.   
  
Hera looked quite insulted and she sulkily turned around to chat with her neighbor, Aphrodite.   
  
Hephaestus, who was sitted across from his wife spoke up, "Father- you know some of us (he shot a Hera, who was preoccupied, talking to Aphrodite, a dirty look) are actually concerned about Demeter and Persephone. We know nothing about where they are, what happened or why. I am genuinely worried."   
  
When it came to his sons, even the ugly Hephaestus, Zeus always softened. And though he did not show it, he loved the blacksmith, and knew his sincerity.   
  
"Since you all really do seem to care," Zeus started, putting down his utensils, "I'll tell you not to worry. Persephone is perfectly fine." He paused. "Now none this should be talked about. I will explain it once and that will be the end of it, understood?" He eyed his wife. When everyone had nodded their head in some sort of agreement, he continued, "Hades has gone to make her his Queen, but she'll only be there for less than half the year. The other half, you'll definitely see her." He took a sip from his goblet. "As for Demeter, I imagine she is very sad right now. You all know how hard it is to let go of a child so close. I think it would be good if you would take the time to visit her at home every once in a while to keep her some company and comfort her."  
  
And everyone continued on with the meal, and no further questions were asked on the subject. Even the incurably curious Hera didn't dare to ask any more questions.   
  
  
  
Persephone had not been able to find them in her room, and despite her reluctance at leaving her bright and sunny room, for the sake of her kittens, she had still ventured out of her room and went exploring in the large house. Of course she had gotten carried away, and simply forgot about the cats, instead looking for seemingly-interesting hallways with chilling paintings and heavy doors with strange markings. She did not even think about being scared or ever finding her way back- she was just too fascinated.   
  
The paintings that lined the walls were all of talented artists- there was no doubt about it, but so unlike any other different kinds of art Persephone had ever seen. They weren't gory or violent but hauntingly dark. She saw two simple silhouettes facing each other- a typical subject, but in the painting one could sense their corruption. Another portrayed an eerie too-innocent-looking girl looking at herself in the mirror and seeing a disfigured face as her reflection that did not seem human.   
  
The last picture was large and very beautiful, she thought. It was a portrait of the Lord Hades himself, looking as sharp and slick as ever. The frame of the painting itself showed signs of age, but the man on the canvas, did not look any older than when she had seen him last. As she studied his face now, she recognized the handsome qualities that had given her shivers before- the lovely indigo eyes, the face that showed so much character. She couldn't help but reach her hand out to touch his cheek as she had when he had visited her room.  
  
How different he was from.....! Who had she been thinking of? A... Ado...Ado... Adon.... Adonis! Why was she forgetting things again? Was she having conflicting feelings? No. Certainly not. She liked Adonis. What feelings were there to conflict with those for Adonis? She didn't feel anything for Hades- and she quickly snatched her hand away and moved on.   
  
She saw a mirror on the wall with a tarnished frame, but the designs were still clear. At the top of the mirror's frame was a carved goblin face. As she passed by it, it began to scream a blood-curdling cry. Persephone nearly knocked it down as she jumped with fright and ran on to the next hallway.   
  
The hallway she had picked this time ended in a dead end, but there were double doors at the very end that seemed to summon her with magnetic forces. She walked towards the double doors. For a moment she leaned her ear against the wood to listen for sounds. Hearing nothing, she put her hand on the knob- but just as she was about to open the door, she heard the mirror screaming. Did that mean someone was coming? Persephone took cover in the shadows and watched for someone. She thought she smelled a breeze that carried what she thought must be his scent. And suddenly, out of nowhere it seemed, he appeared. Persephone withdrew herself further into the shadows.   
  
"You don't need to try to hide," he said quietly, looking directly at her, "I already see you." Persephone didn't answer and he continued, "Please come out of the dark. I'd like to see you when I speak to you."   
  
Persephone came into the dim lights to face him.  
  
"Thank you."   
  
She looked at him blankly, waiting for a continuation.  
  
"Please don't go through that door." His indigo eyes seemed to bore a hole through her, and she felt a burning sensation inside her iris as she looked into his eyes. "You can explore anywhere else you like, but since I gave you privacy in your room, I believe I'm allowed to have privacy as well and going through that door would be invading it."  
  
Automatically it shot out of her mouth, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"I'm asking you not to come back here anymore." He spoke calmly with a deep and rich voice, she nearly wanted him to continue lecturing her just to hear that voice...  
  
"I won't," she said without thinking, and then shamefully looked at her reflection in the spotless black marble floor. She hadn't meant that, had she? She would probably come back, wouldn't she? And the curious Persephone could not help wondering what could be hidden behind a door that he didn't want her to know about. What price did one pay who invaded Lord Hades' privacy?  
  
"Do you need help getting back?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.   
  
"If you could have your hooded servant show me back, it'd be enough," her hands were growing clammy.   
  
"I'll do it myself," and he reached a large square hand out to take hers and interlaced his fingers with hers. She marveled at how cool his hand felt and she felt goosebumps on her arms once more. "You feel cold," he remarked after a few steps and despite Persephone's assurance that she was fine, he pulled his long black cloak around her small shoulders. She felt some kind of warmness when he wrapped her in the cloak, and suddenly his hand felt warm, too. His face was so close to hers- She could feel motion in his chest either from breathing or his beating heart.   
  
"There's something I don't understand," Persephone said suddenly, holding on to the cloak.   
  
"Nobody can understand everything," he answered simply.   
  
"One can make an effort to," Persephone answered, showing her stubborn streak once more.  
  
"Effort is effort- but in the end it is useless. In the end, the Three Fates decide what happens to you," he said.  
  
"Not gods or goddesses," she said indignantly and he was taken back.   
  
"We're still not in complete control- and this is a good thing."  
  
"Why?" she asked simply.  
  
"Why what?"  
  
Persephone decided to change the direction of the conversation, "Why I am here?" she looked at him intently. He stared at her.   
  
"Why did you bring me here?" They had stopped in front of the door to her room.  
  
He looked pensive for a little while, and then answered, "I think that there was something truly missing here. I can't explain what it is- but I know that you have it," and he squeezed her hand, and looked at her with his sparkling eyes again.   
  
"What about the people I've left behind? I'll only see them half of a year," she said, sounding sadder than she had meant to.  
  
"I would not take something from someone who I thought would need it less than I do," he said, focusing on her clearly. Persephone felt her heart skip a beat- or two or three as she heard him say the words. He untangled his fingers from her and planted a brief kiss on her hand.  
  
"You need me?" she blurted out. She could have bitten her tongue. But no one had ever told her something like that before, besides her mother who she knew loved her.   
  
But he simply began to walk, looking once over his shoulder with what she thought was almost a smile. and after a few more strides he seemed to dissolve into the gloominess. How did he always manage to appear and disappear like that? Maybe because he blended in so well....  
  
She quickly touched her hand where he had kissed it to her cheek. To her lips. What would happen if his lips touched those places? What would happen if he did...? Persephone closed her eyes. She had yet to experience more of it. Though she had never had the "Birds and Bees" talk from anyone, she could feel a quality that she knew no name for that was obviously showing- her sexuality. She did not want to say so, even to herself, but she liked it.. What was Hades doing to her?  
  
She awoke from her reverie when she heard cats meowing and went in the door to find her cats on the bed again. What was Hades doing to her? Why had she eaten the pomegranate...? And now she would have to stay. She would have to face him. ... She must think of something else....   
  
Where was Adonis right now? She wondered if he had found his way back to the farmer road.  
  
  
  
The sun was shining brightly in the cloudless sky. The shadows on the ground were short and wide as Adonis kicked up small bits of dirt as he walked.  
  
It was early afternoon when he spotted the humble cottage he called home. He had easily found the road he had been on- and several hundred feet later, he even found the hoe he dropped. After shouldering it and walking on, he reached the small village. As he approached the loosely-spaced group of houses, he thought about them warmly- his home, his birthplace.   
  
More sentimental and thoughtful than most, Adonis often thought about what it would be like to raise his own children in this same village one day... Children... which reminded him- where were the sounds of the usual children playing?  
  
He assumed that everyone else in the village was working in the fields, but to him, the town felt strange, eerily quiet and too empty. Children and elders watched the houses, but even their presence could not be felt. The small houses in the village were spaced far apart but usually one could hear the familiar sounds from the neighboring residences. Perhaps everyone was at a gathering? A roast? He was sure he could smell burning. But then again, that could just be the smell of the hearths. Did they usually smell so strongly? Perhaps he was just paranoid. Where the people were was most important. Especially those that mattered to him.  
  
He changed his gait from hurried and long strides to quiet and careful. He didn't know what to expect as he sneaked into the house. His frail aging grandmother should be home, along with his sunny, energetic, three year-old nephew. His brother, sister-in-law, and bachelor uncle should be in the fields. He opened the door, expecting the worst, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps this was even worse. His grandmother never left the rocking chair by the fireplace. She wasn't there.   
  
He put the farmer tools he had carried with him in their proper place and hurried outside. That's when he saw it- and saw the culprit of the strange smells. The houses behind his were ablaze! They were burning too much to put out. The number of trips it would take to the well to put out the flames was impossible- especially with him by himself. But where was everyone else?   
  
He hurried through the brush and shrubbery from house to house, looking inside the ones that weren't on fire for people or possible explanations. After hurrying around, he came to what was nearly the center of the village- a pile of corpses. And the smell of burning flesh... He thought he saw a face- his young nephew's face and he his heart skipped a beat. But then he realized that he was hallucinating- the bodies were already too deteriorated to recognize any individual figures. Though he felt his eyes burning with tears he quickly took off in direction of the nearest stable.   
  
He had to sprint to a stable on the edge of the village for horses, for whoever had committed the mass murder had looted the stables as well. He rode bareback in order to save time by not saddling the horse- to chase after whoever it had been. Adonis was good at reading animal tracks and rode after the horse tracks he saw up through flat hills.   
  
He was lucky and less than three-quarters of an hour later, he already saw a group of riders kicking up clouds of dust. They would pay....  
  
He recognized what must be the leader of the group on a dark Arabian, obviously not stolen from the stables. Adonis, athletic and an extremely good rider had caught up to him in very short time, veering in between the other riders skillfully and quickly. He did his best to ride as close as he could to the Arabian. Eyeing the leader carefully while still managing to stay on his horse, he could see that he was a stout large man. This could be to Adonis' advantage for he was not as adept and quick as Adonis.   
  
That thought died in Adonis when he pulled a knife and his followers mimicked him. Adonis had no weapon.   
  
So did the first thing that came to mind- used what he had. The skilled rider, ventured as near his opponent as he dared and used his feet. He managed to throw the leader off balance, especially with the knife he was holding. It was clear that he was not the best of riders, Adonis recognized, by the way he held his reins.   
  
In two quick motions, Adonis had gotten hold of the knife and wasted no time plunging it into his chest. It had been too fast for any of the group to do anything, but as they saw the leader fall, they bared their knives and teeth at the stranger.   
  
At that moment, several thoughts were running through Adonis' head while so much had happened so quickly. The first one was nearly regretting the fact that he had killed a man without the thinking, but the second was rejoicing for he had avenged the people- his family's deaths. Then there was his Aphrodite- the girl from the forest, how brimming with happiness he was at the thought of her and how thankful he was that she was not from his village... The last thought of all was the undeniable fact that he had no chance against the two dozen armed, strong men on horseback.   
  
They would not kill him- he knew so. And he did the only thing he knew he could to get away from them- he let go of his reins and- jumped, his body crushed by the hooves of horses from his own village.   
  
To be continued...  
  
  
  
Argh... -winces- I know how badly I suck at action scenes -sighs- Let me know what you thought, anyway. (and you know I mean that)  
  
-Constructive criticism is ALWAYS appreciated- 


	6. The Courtroom and the Observatory

Disclaimer: I own absolutely zilch. Nada. A/N: I apologize for finally updating after a couple months' break... and I'm sorry that I can't give you a valid excuse either, besides "Writer's Block" and the usual. Hope I haven't lost ALL of my readers yet.  
Another thing I should mention is that there will probably not be as much dialogue in this fic as most others for a few reasons: 1) If you can imagine Hades' realm, I have always thought of it as a very eerily quiet and forlorn place 2) The way I'm characterizing Hades is as as a very laconic, somewhat cold and solemn person. Anyway, I'll try to figure out some way to get around that  
Aeriel Ravenna: Thanks for the input, I really appreciate that and I'm glad you like it ) You're right- I used A LOT of artistic license with Adonis' story. There's a couple different versions (as far as I know) of the Adonis-Persephone-Aphrodite love triangle and I'm probably going to change a few things around so that it will fit into my story. I hope you (or anyone else) is not offended by that, but as I said earlier in one of my A/N's, this is slightly AU. Also thanks to Dani, Kore Yan, Picky Picky, Andrea, ., acdecnerd, and MegHarts for your reviews )  
And Finally on to the story... 

CHAPTER SIX: THE COURTROOM AND THE OBSERVATORY For several days after her encounter with the Lord Hades, Persephone did not dare to explore the castle anymore. She preferred to stay in her room where she knew she would not find anything darkly intriguing such as portraits of the lord himself. For in truth, those feelings still scared her and she continually denied them to herself. She avoided them by reading the books in her room or paying mind to her kittens. She had managed to find some sort of a routine for the past two weeks as she waited. Though she had no idea what it was she was waiting for... for the snow to melt into spring once more so that she might return home? To her mother, friends, and perhaps she'd meet Adonis in the forest again? But it seemed so pointless to her- in the fall she'd have to pack her things again and leave for the underworld. So she ignored these circling thoughts as much as she could by trying to find simple joys that paralleled to those she had had in her other life.  
But her days were growing mundane and blurring into one another. She could not remember when a day began or ended for during the nights she suffered from insomnia. The only interesting thing was that she had found out that the view from the window in her room was actually a window into the outside world. This explained to her where the sunshine came from that had flooded her room in late autumn. The maid who brought her meals to her three times a day had told her of the enchanted window. She was sitting on a window ledge, completely immersed in her book (The Seven Botanical Wonders of the World) and absentmindedly stroking the chalk-board gray fur of the kitten she had decided to call Mamba as she read. The others except for Bora and her gray twin were in the palace somewhere, exploring, as Persephone had began to let them out when she realized how cooped up they were feeling inside the room. Persephone herself, who loved the fresh summer breezes and the endless skies above her, could not deny how much she, too felt cooped up.  
Sighing, she put a pressed flower in to keep her place, and closed her book. It was almost lunchtime- her stomach was a witness to that- she thought as she felt it growl. And at that very moment she heard a knock and although she had been expecting it, she was startled as she acknowledged whoever it was to come in.  
Just as she had thought, it was the maid. A plump, middle-aged woman with dark curls hidden underneath the black head covering which was a part of her uniform. She bustled in with a tray, grinning from ear to ear as she saw Persephone sitting by the window. "Have ye been reading again?" she asked warmly, as she set the tray down on the table in the room. "All day." Persephone studied the maid as she set up her lunch on the table. She had never expected a servant of the Lord Hades to be as kind as the maid had been. Not a friend- but as close as one could get to that in the Underworld, Persephone thought. "Won't you join me for lunch?" she asked, as a courteous gesture, but she felt awkward.  
The maid, however was reluctant and she returned to a more reserved tone. "Thank you for the invite, Miss, but it jus' wouldn't be right"  
"Ah, that's too bad," Persephone replied quietly and made a mental note to herself not to try to make any friends in the Underworld anymore.  
"Sadly, I have chores and other duties I need to tend to- although I would have loved to. Enjoy yer lunch, though"  
"Thank you." Persephone pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat. "I'll pick the tray up later," she said with a slight smile.  
"Alright," she said, watching the maid closed the door behind her, as she unfolded a napkin and placed it in her lap.  
She pulled back her strawberry blonde hair and began to eat. When she was done, she dabbed her mouth daintily and stacked the dirty dishes neatly back onto the tray. She decided to leave the tray just outside her door and later that day, she heard the maid come by and pick it up. She didn't even ask why the tray had been outside. Persephone felt lonely once more. Her pets were sleeping again and the room was painfully silent. She pressed her face against the window pane and realized the first snowfall had begun. But it seemed only yesterday that she had been outside with Adonis, getting ready to leave for the Underworld. It had still been harvest then. Persephone had never seen snow before in her life but it seemed to her as if a lot of time had passed. She watched the gentle snowflakes float to the ground in fascination for a long time. For the first time in a long while that night, Persephone was able to sleep after watching the snow. She slept soundly and dreamt about being outside in the white wonderland, exploring with a handsome young man whose face she could not see. Was it Hades? Adonis? She was not sure- Even when she woke up, she was indecisive whether it had been Hades or Adonis. Her routine continued for a further week without her catching a single glimpse of Hades. When she was in her room by herself she could almost forget where she was and that she was at Hades' palace in the Underworld. When Persephone woke up another usual morning, she realized she had had enough- she could no longer live alone in her room without a friend, without a soul but her five kittens, which were already growing increasingly independent and going exploring more frequently. She woke up early and dressed simply, leaving a note for the maid in case she did not come back in time for breakfast. She left the door a crack open so that her cats could come and go as they liked. And she left. 

He caught his first glimpse of the darkness when he saw the man. He looked rather worn out and tired. He probably hadn't seen a bath in centuries, his hair disheveled and eyes dull. Charon was the first name that came to mind. This man was Charon. The man met his eyes and made a noise in his throat that sounded remotely like a grunt that might mean ,"Get Over Here If You Want to be Rowed across". Before he hurried over to Charon's side, he quickly glanced around him, but Hermes had already left. Adonis was not afraid of any monster, wild beast, or army of ferocious men. The only thing he really feared was to be utterly alone. Alone in such a way where he knew he would be alone with himself for all eternity. He knew that in the Underworld he would never have to worry about being alone-  
He barely noticed his trip across the river, but suddenly as the boat reached the banks of the river, Adonis remembered payment and reached into the folds of his clothing for money. He panicked a moment, not knowing whether he had any money since his body had not been buried with a coin as others were. But to his surprise, he found a coin tucked in the folds of his tunic, which he hastily handed to Charon. From the River Styx, he was guided by a mysterious hooded creature with a stooped posture but quick pace. He was led across several bridges over the rivers Acheron, the river of woe; Cocytus, the river of lamentation; Phlegethon, the river of fire; and Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. As his foot stepped off the last bridge, already it seemed that his memories and mind seemed more distant and an intense feeling of anguish had stirred up in his chest, though he did not know what he was aching for. The figure tapped him on the shoulder- almost so softly that he hardly noticed and he whispered in a hoarse voice, "there," while pointing with a bony index finger to a gray building. Adonis took off and stepped inside without further ado. He opened a creaky door, only to find himself in a large room. It resembled something, but what? It seemed to be buried deep in time... What was this place? He looked around the formation of the dusty little chairs. The soaring ceilings of the room. He walked around in a strange daze, his mind fixed on trying to remember. Suddenly he was not alone in the room. He had circled the room and suddenly noticed that a bleak little man had appeared in a high chair. How long had that man been sitting there, watching him? Adonis did not know what to say. It seemed ages ago since he had used his voice. The man's eagle eyes focused on Adonis. "Who are you?" Adonis asked from across the room, not daring to stare directly back.  
The man had a haunched back, slightly crooked shoulders, and he resembled- a moldy wedge of cheese. A rather severe wedge of cheese, actually.  
The man ignored his question with a wave of the hand. "Your name is Adonis," he said, forming the sentence like a question but pronouncing it like a statement.  
"Yes, that I am." Adonis began to walk towards the gray little man.  
"I am Radamanthus," the man said, looking at Adonis with his piercing eyes.  
Something clicked in Adonis' mind. He stopped advancing towards the man and stood still, trying to search his mind. What was this place...? He looked around once more. The word was at the tip of his tongue. K.. ka...kor... court! It was a courtroom! And this man... he was Radamanthus... judge of the dead!... He was dead? Since when?  
"It is time for your judging now," Radamnathus said slowly. And as Adonis turned around, the courtroom was full of people! No, not people. The courtroom was full of the dead. And they were loud and protesting or cheering as Radamanthus reviewed Adonis' records.  
"You stole a horse from a stable in your village?" he said in a dry voice. "That I did, but I am justifi"  
"But you did it?" Radamanthus continued.  
"Yes, howev-" Jeers and protests drowned out Adonis' self-defense. "You killed a man?" Adonis felt that vulture-like eye watching him. "I did- but only out of revenge." The courtroom quieted a little. From another chair that Adonis had not seen before, an authorative voice spoke, "In THIS world, there is no such thing as revenge. No such thing"  
Adonis looked at the figure that had spoken. Who was that? Was that the Dark Lord himself? Did he attend every judgement? "I am not of this world, however," Adonis said. More wild protests across the room.  
"But you are here now, are you not? You are dead, are you not?" The same figure said. "No." What was he saying? Wasn't he dead? Then why was here?  
"You jumped from your own horse. You killed yourself. You THREW away your life. You insulted Zeus himself!" Radamanthus spat, looked disgustedly at Adonis.  
"No. No. I only did these things for those who had been killed"  
"You still committed against what you should have done!" Radamanthus' voice boomed over the loud chatters across the room. "You are done"  
Out of invisible corners in the room, appeared two guards that dragged him away. 

She was making sure this time to avoid all the places where she had run into him and decided to venture further upstairs. She found herself a tight, creaky staircase that worried her at first, at the groans it made as she stepped up slowly. But before she knew it, she was up in a large chamber with windows everywhere. Persephone spent a while examining the snowfall from all different angles, still fascinated with it. Then, she decided to move on and walked through a set of double doors into a black marble hallway. across from her, the hall turned a corner, to her right it ended with a grandfather clock standing against the wall, to her left, there was a heavy oak door. She continued straight down the hall, turned the corner and stood in front of double doors made of ebony. She fingered the brass door knobs for a slight moment before she opened them. The room was dark, but there was a dim source of light from across the room. They were a set of glass doors that opened to what seemed a balcony. However, they seemed far way and the room was large and pitch black. Nonetheless, Persephone stepped into the room, spreading her arms out to feel for any objects or furniture.  
And from some source, suddenly, she saw the ceiling light up in a veil of stars. Persephone fell in a quandary of amazement. Her heart sped up. This wasn't just any observatory. This was THE observatory. 

Ok, ok- I know. The last part was bad, I'll fix that later, but I have to post this tonight. My first update in MONTHS! YAY -) So, tell what you think!  
-PTB 


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